Oceana County man sentenced to prison in 2018 CSC case

Eschman

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

HART — A 64-year-old Oceana County man was sentenced to three and a half to 15 years in prison Monday, April 13, by Judge Susan K. Sniegowski in Oceana County’s  51st Circuit Court for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old child in 2018.

Eschman pleaded guilty to three felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, March 2.

“The abuse repeatedly occurred during the summer of 2018 while the victim was visiting and staying at a relative’s Oceana County home during summer vacation,” states a press release from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “The crimes were initially reported in 2018, and Eschman was charged by the Oceana County Prosecutor’s Office in early 2019. However, police were unable to locate Eschman, and the case remained open until he was arrested in Oceana County in August of 2025 as part of Operation Survivor Justice. The Operation is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Attorney General, local county prosecutors, and the U.S. Marshals Service, which work to locate, apprehend, and return to Michigan fugitive offenders with outstanding sexual assault warrants.”

“Sexual assaults that remain open for years take a tremendous toll on victims looking to see their abusers face justice and the community, which remains at risk while predators are free,” said Attorney General Nessel. “After years of waiting, I hope this sentence brings a measure of closure to the young survivor in this case. My office remains committed to working with our Operation Survivor Justice partners to ensure that fugitives cannot outrun accountability.”

Following a release from prison, Eschman will be subject to lifetime electronic monitoring and sex offender registration.

Another sexual offender was sentenced in Oceana County’s 51st Circuit Monday through Operation Survivor Justice. Read more HERE

Eschman received credit for 228 days served in jail and was ordered to pay $394 in fines and costs, according to court records. Three additional counts of second-degree CSC were dismissed.

The operation is funded by a $1 million appropriation from the state legislature.

“Operation Survivor Justice will make a difference,” said Nessel. “It will touch the lives of victims, and those who never become one, because we were able to take this decisive strike, with our new partners in this effort to secure justice for as many sexual survivors as possible.”

The initiative “is a first-in-the-nation partnership and is currently only operational in Michigan. However, the attorney general and the U.S. Marshals Service hope to set a precedent that could expand these efforts across the nation through similar agreements in other states.”

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